Thank you oh so much for making my semi-crappy day even more craptacular by attempting to run me off into the sand dune on the highway during my lunch hour trek back to the office from Starbucks. Hurray for you. You may not have cared that you nearly ran someone (ME!) off the freaking highway and into the sand but by golly, stores will get their delivery of your icky stale tasting oroweat bread on time. I know you have the bigger vehicle so you win. Be glad I don’t drive Grave Digger or I would have run your ass into the dunes or maybe just ran you over so all you would be able to carry in your truck would be flat bread. Anyway. Hope you have a super day.

FRIDAY: I had a headache of the most wicked proportions…so I didn’t really do much but laze about and watch TV. I wanted to read. I have a huge stack of books waiting for me but I ended up watching mostly crummy tv…and whining to the dog about said headache and about the crummy TV. She said she could care less about either the headache or the TV and wanted to know if I had a banana cookie in my pocket. Unfortunately for her the answer was no I didn’t.

SATURDAY: Its the loudest fastest weekend here as both the Air Show AND the AMA Superbikes are in town. I spent a good portion of my day with a camera around my neck. Unfortunately for both of us…it wasn’t my camera. My dad was out with the camera he has his telephoto lens on trying to catch the Thunderbirds zipping around our airspace- and told me to grab his other camera with his new wide-angle lens. I ended up testing his new lens on flowers, Roxy and my dad because its not the right lens for taking jet pictures. I will try to talk him into sending me a couple of Miss Roxy and the flower that I took. Playing with his Rebel makes me wish I had a DSLR camera. I was also able to crank out not one but TWO amazon.com Vine product reviews. Evil headache still lingers.

SUNDAY: At 10:00 my mom asks me when the race starts. I tell her not for about an hour so she asks if I want to run to the store with her. I do because Roxy was out of banana cookies. I get home just in time to watch invocation for the race…talk about cutting it close. I ingest massive (for me) amounts of caffeine and my headache finally starts to dissipate. Of course it could be me getting all ramped up during the race that makes me forget about the headache…when I watch I get fairly animated. I have been known to jump of the couch at times…and quiet little me because very vocal. Let’s just say that between me and the airshow poor Roxy was hiding in her “safe spot” most of the day. That evening I ended up in my “writing” zone and worked on some stuff there. Then it was Desperate Housewives (which I didn’t like the 5 year jump), some reading and then off to bed.

Just for the record- I am officially STOPPING going with my gut instinct for picking my fantasy racing league drivers. I picked Tony as my A driver this race and he ended up 40th. My fantasy racing league chase season is going about as good as Team Home Depot’s. I don’t remember who I picked for my B and C drivers but I can’t imagine that I ended up doing very good this week. Arg.

Enough fantasy crap- now onto the race. Before the race starts Tony tells his spotter that he’s planning on running around the top of the track and to make sure to tell him what’s going on in front of him. The most ironic thing he says is for his crew guys to “Be careful and have fun out there” which is pretty much what he tells the team every race. This ends up being ironic because Team Home Depot ends up getting screwed in the pits three times by my count…but that will come in good time. Race starts out with Stewart moving up through the pack fairly well despite his reports of the car being way too loose (I know the pit reporter said tight…but she was wrong- he never once complained about the car being too tight that I heard) from his forty first starting postion. It seems that Stewart’s proclamation before the race that “It wouldn’t take them too long to work their way to the front” might just be right on the money as he was all the way up to 26th before I knew it.

However- it would ultimately be three rounds of pit stop debauchery that would end up pushing Stewart past his frustration level. Pit stop one, Brian Vickers ends up clipping Carl Edwards and pushing him into Vickers pit stall- nearly taking out some home depot pit crew in the process. It was close. This means there are three cars where only two should be. Carl Edwards, through no fault of his own ends up blocking Stewart into his pit stall. The next pitstop Vickers stops short in his pit stall and thus blocks Stewart in again. Stewart backs up but does end up nudging Vickers off the jack as he makes his way out of his pit stall. Third pit stop has vickers again stopping short in his pit box. Blocking Stewart in his again. However this time well after Vickers has left his pit box, Vickers gas man lingers standing in front of Stewarts car (now my mom and I differ in opinion here…I say the gas man sat on his hood…my mom thinks Tony rolled forward and tripped him onto his hood). Either way – what seemed like most of Vickers over-the-wall crew ends up kicking at Tony’s car as he leaves. This is a major delay in the pits. Not to mention that team Home Depot garnered a pit road speeding penalty entering pit road so we had to take a pass through penalty. By this time Stewart was fed up with Vickers and went to give him a little nudge (now the race announcers disagreed on this one some thought that Stewart just got loose in to Vickers- I think Tony just wanted to tap Vickers to let him know he and his crew were being jerks. At this point Tony Stewart ended up mowing the lawn in quite the slide across the lawn. This caused damage to the front splitter and Team Home Depot ended up 7 laps down in 40th position after taking the time to try to fix the broken front splitter. This dropped them down to 11th in points for the chase to the Sprint Cup.

Jimmie Johnson took the checkered flag after an amazing effort by Carl Edwards to over take him. Carl decided he just had to go for and went into turn three too fast- solely with the intention of passing Jimmie Johnson. Carl took the lead- however ended up grazing the outside wall because he went into the turn too hot and Johnson was able to retake the lead for the win. I will say that I didn’t think Carl could catch Jimmie…that was a hell of an exciting move at the end!

More Notes on Kansas:

My favorite announcer quote of the race: “Let’s see who hits Carl Edwards during this round of pit stops.” Despite being in multiple altercations on pit road Carl Edwards was able to finish an amazing 2nd.

This race was cool for the pit crew geek in me. I loved watching Jeff Burton’s team replacing the tachometer before rolling out for the warmup laps. Its not often you will see a Cup driver not roll of the grid…let alone a chase driver. I was amazed at how fast that new tach went in. It was cool to watch. Despite the fact that I knew it meant my driver Tony Stewart was going to have a really long pit stop that would basically take away his chances for any sort of decent finish- I was fascinated by watching Team Home Depot build a front splitter patch behind the wall. I was glad the broadcast stayed with that for the most part…as well as with when the team came in to finally patch up the splitter. These are the kind of on-the-spot repairs that fascinate me.

Joey Logano again had a lackluster performance in this race- even running the DLP sponsored Hall of Fame racing car into the wall at one point. My thoughts are that this is going to be a little harder than he thought.

Despite his prerace announcement that this was the “sickest he has ever been climbing into a race car” Jeff Gordon had an amazing run- finishing fourth.

Kyle Busch had another terrible run again. I bet he is hating the chase format this year.

Cuz I have had a nasty headache for two days now. First up is Paddy’s Fall Time MI-5:

1. Describe your single fondest childhood memory of the fall season.I can’t think of a single memory…I always liked the halloween parade at school.

2. What are your two favorite things to eat that are specific to this time of year?Apple pie/apple crisp and Spaghetti Squash.

3. Name three items that you dig out of the closet and wear now that the weather is turning.

I wear the same wardrobe summer winter spring or fall. Its pretty much that we don’t have true seasons here. I just might add my favorite Harley sweatshirt my brother gave to me a couple years ago for Christmas…or a jacket…but I hate jackets in general. Actually not a big fan of layering. Drives people nuts….that I will go out in winter with no jacket.

4. Tell us your four favorite activities that you enjoy between the Autumnal Equinox and Halloween (November AIN’T Fall here in Maine folks!).

Well I usually like to go to the Ren Faire…but with gas being so much and tickets being so much and no one to go with…The corn maze freaks me out because I am always afraid I will never find my way out before dark and then the scary people come out and I really don’t like scary mazes…got ruined on those at Universal Studios- being chased by men in pigman masks with real chainsaws (they didn’t have the chains on them) was bad enough- took me 40 minutes just to make it in past the entrance…then there was the buffy the vampire slayer maze where someone grabbed me by the leg in the grave yard which caused me yelp and run up and stand like two inches from the people in front of me cuz I was that freaked out. Then the MASTER scared me by kinda jumping out at me and I buried my head into the back of BFM’s sweatshirt hoodie and when I looked up again he was like two inches from my face saying DON’T YOU LIKE MY MAKEUP I PUT IT ON JUST FOR YOU. Yeah they invaded my personal space a little too much. I basically ended up running through the Rob Zombie maze…and then leaving I was so freaked out.

5. Finally, what are the top five things that you need to get done before the winter hits?

Get my oil changed and tires rotated (not because it’s winter but because it’s just time to rotate). Dig out my stupid coat. Put my bigger blanket on my bed (but not yet…too hot still)- I can’t really think of too much else I do?

I have just some general stuff today. First order of business are badgroove items:

See that link up at the very tip top of the page that says ABOUT AMY’S BADGROOVE. Yeah I need to actually finish that page. What kind of stuff would you like to see on it? What would be fun and interesting? I am totally open to ideas because right now the page sucks on ice.

Now see the right hand column…there is the HELP/GIVE section…I have this grand idea…let me know what you think of it: I am really wanting to take part in NATIONAL BLOG POSTING MONTH again this year (it’s November right?). I am thinking of doing it and trying to raise money for a worthy cause at the same time. What I am thinking is something along the lines of setting up an account with FirstGiving (so that I don’t have to be personally responsible for the money raised)– kind of like what is already there- only the page will be for me. I will pick the charity- it will most likely be a children’s charity. I want it to be interactive so I thought what I could do is if you donate any amount- I will write a blog post on any topic you want. I would also be giving away random prizes for updating. Would this be something you guys could help me with??? I know times are hard right now but I am just curious..let me know before I do the work of setting it up!!

Now just some random bullets:

I was going to tell you all how ABBA’s Dancing Queen was all stuck in my head thanks to my mom’s incessant listening of the Mama Mia! Soundtrack…but thanks to Chrissy’s Twitter I now have the theme to the Mary Tyler Moore show stuck in my head. AHHH MAKE IT STOP.

Speaking of music…XM is really trying to woo me into keeping it. First there was the whole merger with Sirius so there is the possiblity of getting Tony Stewart Live (maybe). Then there was my beloved METALLICA CHANNEL…and now in addition there is an ACDC CHANNEL. I am in HEAVEN.

I have decided there is a little anti-social rebel in me. I DO NOT like being FORCED to do things…like socialize with people I don’t want to socialize with. It makes me uber grumpy.

I have been sleeping like total crap lately again. Look what time of the year it is. Usually we would be changing over to PST about now…and my internal clock hates this time change (don’t argue with me over getting an hour back…explain that to my brain- it doesn’t understand why we can’t just stay on Daylight Savings Time). Everybody around me are always saying something like “I LOVE THIS TIME CHANGE I FINALLY GET MY HOUR BACK!” I want to knock them upside the freaking head. Is there anyone else out there like me when it comes to this time change or am I the only one who feels this way??

Remember back when you were in school? And you use to have a question but didn’t want to ask it because you were afraid all the kids in the class would laugh at you because they all knew the answer and you were the only one who didn’t?? Or was that just me?

Anyway I have been a NASCAR fan for years (as in since childhood)…and I have a couple of questions that I can’t find an answer to…and I don’t really know anyone who would know the answer that I feel comfortable asking. I mean my dad is a NASCAR fan but not as much as me…because how many times do I have to explain to the man what the “lucky dog” is (probably the same number of times he has to explain to me what a saftey is in football)? Yeah anyway- I have stupid NASCAR questions that bug me. REALLY bug me. But who the heck am I gonna ask? You! I am asking YOU because its hard for you to laugh at me over the internet…or anyway it’s hard for me to hear you laugh.

Ok…you know on the front and back of the cars- where they have the decals of headlights and taillights? Why do the right side lights have the car number in them and not the left sides? Why do they put a number in the fake lights anyway???

How does a driver eat with a full face helmet on? I know they do it…Chad Knaus told Jimme to make sure he got a drink and ate his candy at Dover. And BFM told me she has heard Jimmie ask for a banana. So how the heck do you stick food in your mouth with a helmet like that on your head? I am assuming that because of the hans device they don’t actually unhook it to tip it up a bit for consumption reasons so how?

Where is a good place to sit at INFINEON? I am considering going to the race there next year and I am curious.

Ok…so maybe that’s two stupid questions and one not so stupid question. Got answers? Leave me a comment or email me.